Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-03-10
CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW
Summary Of the Work Accomplished
by the Forty-Ninth Congress.
The Nominations of Delaney, Tretter,
Greedy and Others Confirmed.
THE FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS.

constant increase IN the volume OF the
legislation demanding the attention of
congress which has been going on for the
last three or more congresses. More
bills were introduced in both houses,
more committee reports made, more bills
passed, more became laws and more were
vetoed than ever before. The most of
these measures were of comparative I'M
Importance such as the bills granting prl-,
vate pension and special relief; authoriz-'
ing the erection of bridges; granting
right of way and such like but
many not only of the bills and reports
presented, bu5 of the laws enacted, werel
of general interest and Importance.
number of the bills enacted into laws
were old and familiar claims for leg
islative favor. In this category being
the presidential succession bill, the cleo
toral count bill, the Interstate commerce
bill, and the bill for the relief of Fitz
John Porter. The 10th cong ress com
menced its session on the fourth day of
December, 1884, and was in session until
the fifth of August, when it adjourned
until December 9Th, and continued In ses-
sion until its close today, covering
total period of ten months and twenty
six days. OF the time the senate was in
session 224 days, and the house 251
days.
BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS INTRODUCED.
There were introduced in the house
during this time, IL 1858 bills and 263 joint
resolutions, on which over 5000 reports
we're made, being several thousands more
bills and over a thousand more reports
than were made in the 40th congress-,
which had in its turn beaten the record.
In the senate there were introduced 1851
bills, and 118 Joint resolutions, on which
1878 written reports were made, being
upwards of 500 more bills and over 400
reports than on record, thus breaking
the record of the 48tn congress.
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF LAWS ENACTED
was approximately 1,431, of which 100 3
originated in the house and 338 "A the
senate; 264 of these became laws
by the expiration of the oonstitu-
tional ten days limitations; so bills
failed to become laws owing to the ad
journment of congress-nine of them at
the close of the first session.
THERE WERE 1872 E ILLS
vetoed by the president, or 81 more in
stances of the exercise of the presiden-
tial prerogative of vetous than had oc-
cureed from the foundation Of the gov
eminent down to the beginning Of this
congress. Of the vetoed bills 81 origin
ated in the house and SO in the senate.
But one private bill that granting pen
sion to Joseph FL. Romesir, and one pub
lie bill namely that providing for the
erection of a government building at
Dayton, Ohio, succeeded in passing both
houses over the presidents veto, although
several others obtained their g vote in
the senate only to and in the house.
THE DEATH RATE
of this capUracs was aIco
airy one, comprising the unprecedented
number of thirteen in the house and
senate.
But one election case was decided by
the house against the sitting member.
This congress was characterized by an
absence of that acrimonious discussion
which such contests usually awaken. The
Rhode Island case of Page vs.. Pierce. in
which the house decided that neither
party was entitled to the seat, and new
election was ordered is the one instance
of a seat being taken from sitting
member.
OF the 1,053 house bills which became
laws 275 were of moe or less public
nature. Of the remaining 778 bills
granting pensions of relief to specially
designated persons, 156 became laws
without the approval of the president
The following is a
LIST OF THE MORE IMPORTANT HOUSE Bills
which have become laws: To forfeit the
Atlantic d Pacific land grant; to increase
the pension of widows and dependent rel
atives from So to So per III; to es-
tablish certain fees for official service to
American vessels and to amend the ship
ping laws; the Dingley shipping bill Ito
amend the Thurman aet); increase of
the naval establishment; to pension
Mexican war veterans; to impose tax on
and to regulate the manufacture, sale,
importation and expectation of oleemar-
garine; to authorize the transfer of the
High Wood tract, near Chicago, to the
United States for military purposes; to
protect homestead settlers within railroad
limits; to enable national banking asso-
Citations to increase their capital stock
and change their name and location; for
the construction of congressional library
building; to forfeit the New Orleans,
Baton Rouge & Vicksburg railroad
Backbone land grant; to reduce the fees
on domestic money orders for sums less
than five dollars; to make allowances for
clerk hire to postmasters of the first and
second classes to cover the cost of cleri-
cal labor on the money order business; to
extend the Immediate delivery
system; TO prohibit the passage of local
ing an appropriation for additional
barracks at the southern, northwestern
and western branches of the national sol
diers home; to provide for the closing up
of the business of the court of Alabama
claims; to establish additional life saving
stations; extending the freo delivery sys-
tenn to towns of 10000 Inhabitants; for
the sale of the Cherokee reservation in
Arkansas; TO amend the statutes so as to
require breweries to give bonds for threee
times their estimated monthly tax; for
the allowance of the 4th of July claims
reported by the accounting officers of the
treasury department.; one bill FOR each of
the two sessions for the issue of postal
notes in sums less than So; to validate
the general laws of Dakota; regarding the
Incorporation of insurance companies; to
provide for school of instruction for
cavalry and light artillery; to provide for
inspection of tobacco, cigars and snuff;
to repeal section 3151 of the revised stat